GovCon M&A Talk

Veterans Mean Business: Bob Eisminger

Sharon Heaton talks with GovCon leader Bob Eisminger who founded Knight Point Systems and sold it for an impressive sum. A graduate of West Point, Bob used his knowledge of the military to grow his GovCon company. Realizing that as a VAR, Knight Point systems wouldn’t be worth more than a low multiple of profits, Bob pivoted. As a managed services provider with a $1.2 billion backlog on its books, the company looked very different. Hear what this successful veteran entrepreneur says about the journey from business idea to growth through sale:
Topics covered:
Ingredients to growth – why people matter
Business pivots and strategic decisions 
Focusing on customers you know and can serve well
When it's time for a sale
Getting through the sale process

Inorganic Growth is No Secret with Gautam Ijoor

A serial entrepreneur since his boyhood in India, Gautam Ijoor founded AlphaOmega in 2016. An agile supplier of DevSecOps, cloud engineering and cybersecurity solutions, the company has grown 40% year after year. In 2020 Gautam decided to bolt on a robotics firm, Confiance Group.  This January, 2025, he closed two new acquisitions on the same day. Hear what a successful tech entrepreneur says about smart buys in the GovCon sector.
Topics covered:
Inorganic growth - your company plan
Looking for the right match in M&A
What the government needs now from technology
Buying for strategy not revenue
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Finding Unicorns: Cos DiMaggio M&A Journey

Winning at GovCon M&A requires providing unique value to government agencies. Cos DiMaggio, a successful serial entrepreneur, shares his tips on science, technology and disruption. Cos founded The Tauri Group with two colleagues and focused on critical areas of homeland security, national defense, resilience, and rapid capability development. Cos’s growth strategy? Compressing the distance between developers and users. Tauri was acquired by LMI. Hear what a successful tech entrepreneur says about his M&A journey:
Topics covered:
Unicorns—finding visionary scientists, engineers, acquisition specialists, and former operators
How solving threat challenges advances your GovCon
What strategic buyers look for
Deciding when and whether to sell
GovCon today – what’s still true
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SBA Reg Shakeups: Brad Reeves of Reeves GovCon Group

SBA regs dropped last December are still roiling the set-aside GovCon market. Some experts disagree on the regulation's impact with most already in effect and certain M&A provisions set to take effect on January 17, 2026. Hear the experts decode the debate.
 
Topics covered:
 
Overview of new rules – defining a disqualifying recertification and discussion of impact
Differences in treatment for single-award and multiple-award contracts
Discussion of GSA schedule as a multiple award vehicle and immediate implementation
How M&A for set-aside companies will be affected
Small buying small opportunities
Whether task orders will be transferable
Benefits of selling  a set-aside company prior to Jan. 17, 2026
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Buyer's Eyes: David Troung of PSI on M&A

Deal value is in the eye of the beholder. What are large companies looking for when they eye small GovCon for acquisition? David Troung of PSI shares his experience on what he as a larger entity looks for when he shops for acquisitions of set-aside companies.
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M&A to Retirement: Merry Korn's Successful Journey

In Episode 3 Sharon interviews Merry Korn, a GovCon owner who started her Ohio company after she was fired from a job. After years of growth it was time to hand off the baton. Merry shares the ups and downs of her recent sale process and the secrets to a successful GovCon M&A transaction.

SBA Earthquake: New Regulations Affecting M&A with Cy Alba, PilieroMazza

In Episode 2, Sharon Heaton interviews Cy Alba of PilieroMazza about a set of new regulations from the SBA that will shake up GovCon M&A for years to come. The new SBA regulations will significantly affect the value of many set-aside small businesses companies, decreasing the amount owners may be able to get for their entities after January 17, 2026, the date the new SBA regulations take effect.
PilieroMazza is known for its deep GovCon law expertise and Cy is just the guy to explain it all to us.

2025 Market Forecast: M&A Overview with Bob Kipps, Founder of KippsDeSanto

In our first episode, Sharon interviews Bob Kipps, the legendary dealmaker and founder of the GovCon M&A firm KippsDeSanto. Not only does Bob tell his own story of being a client in an M&A process, he talks about what is coming down the pike in aerospace, defense, and intelligence this year. Bob reviews market trends over the last few years, assesses the impact of the new Trump Administration on the M&A market and valuations, and gives practical advice for owners eying an exit in 2025.